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June 21, 2007

For this week's "By the Numbers," we examine the top and bottom regions with the highest percentage of working mothers. Pulling the data from the U.S. Census (American Community Survey, 2005), we rank the top 10 metros and list the bottom three for each metro classification: large, medium, mid-size, and small.

EX: Washington, DC Metro (68.9%) - represents the percentage of mothers in the Washington, DC metro who have children younger than 18 and are working.

Here's a look at the top and bottom three for each metro classification:

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Steven - This is fascinating. I might have predicted just the opposite. I might have thought there would be more working mothers in San Jose and LA -given their creative class and related numbers - than say Buffalo or St. Louis. Minneapolis makes sense. But perhaps incomes in San Jose and LA enable more mothers to stay at home, while economic conditions in Buffalo and St. Louis require them to work. Or consider this. My wife Rana long ago told me the most ambitious and motivated men in her home region of Detroit leave home to find more vibrant places. What if there is a differential migration of relatively more skilled and ambitious types out of older industrial regions which would essentially mean more opportunity and need for women in the workforce. These numbers are really interesting. It's fun to try to do analysis or suggest hypotheses in real time. Any other thoughts out there?

Hmmm... to me this raised more questions than it answered. For example, how many of these working mothers are married? and how does that correlate to city? A city with a high percentage of single mothers might have a higher percentage of mothers working, especially since the welfare reform bills of a few years ago.

How does the number of working mothers correlate to the unemployment rate and participation rate in a given city? For example, in a city with a talent scarcity and therefore higher wages, are more mothers working? or, the opposite as Richard suggests in his comments on LA assuming these women are married (their spouse is earning a higher income, allowing them to stay at home).

Do any of the cities in question have a program to promote/support daycare spaces?

Hmmm... to me this raised more questions than it answered. For example, how many of these working mothers are married? and how does that correlate to city? A city with a high percentage of single mothers might have a higher percentage of mothers working, especially since the welfare reform bills of a few years ago.

How does the number of working mothers correlate to the unemployment rate and participation rate in a given city? For example, in a city with a talent scarcity and therefore higher wages, are more mothers working? or, the opposite as Richard suggests in his comments on LA assuming these women are married (their spouse is earning a higher income, allowing them to stay at home).

Do any of the cities in question have a program to promote/support daycare spaces?